It’s been widely expected that the next generation of tablets will be sporting quad-core CPUs, and Android or iOS have been rumored as the likeliest OS’s onboard. However, it now looks as if someone else could be joining the party, as Microsoft recently showed off a quad-core Windows slate at a New Zealand tech conference.

According to a blog post by Alan Burchill, an IT consultant, Microsoft had an enigmatic tablet on hand at the TechEd 2011 conference where the latest and greatest Windows devices were on display. Originally the blog read “What is very interesting is that device was a ‘Quad Core Windows Slate that will be give(n) out at an upcoming Microsoft Event’… Hmmm…” but that statement has since been removed. A pair of photos also accompanied the post, but all that can be discerned is a pair of switches and what looks to be a speaker grill. Interestingly, the tablet does have a slight curve towards the bottom and a physical keyboard could fit there.

While definitely intriguing, the tablet wasn’t the only device on hand, as Microsoft also displayed a bendable laptop and a tablet with a removable battery. Sadly, the specs and manufacturer info on all these devices went unannounced, but it’s probably safe to assume that they’ll be powered by some variant of Windows.

ZDNet is also reporting that the slate may be presented as a giveaway at the Microsoft Build conference next month, where Windows 8 will be officially shown off. As such we’ll have to hold onto our horses till the 13th of September, but we’re definitely hoping that the rumor mill churns something else out before then.